Rhetorical%20Devices

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Rhetorical Devices
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EQ What are rhetorical devices?

• Rhetorical devices are techniques writers use to
  enhance their arguments and make their writing
  effective.

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EQ What are some of the common rhetorical
devices I can use in my essay?

• Repetition
• Parallelism
• Rhetorical Question
• Argument by Analogy
• Loaded Words

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Repetition

• Repetition is the repeated use of a word, phrase,
  or clause more than once for emphasis.

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Example

• The curfew law should be repealedrepealed
  immediately in fairness to the community, the
  police and the students.

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Parallelism

• Parallelism is the repetition of the same
  grammatical form to express equal, or parallel
  ideas. A noun is paired with a noun, a phrase
  with a phrase, a clause with a clause, and so on.

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Example

• This week, the Riverdale High School student
  council had to cancel its annual charity
  Bowl-a-Thonnot because of a lack of interest,
  not because of a shortage of funds, and not
  because of a failure to sign up enough
  enthusiastic volunteers.

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Rhetorical Question

• Rhetorical questions are questions that are not
  meant to be answered but are asked for effect.

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Example

• Should students who are out late because of such
  events be jailed or fined? Should such school
  activities be dropped?

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Argument by Analogy

• Argument by analogy draws a parallel between
  basically dissimilar events or situations.

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Example

• If the curfew law aims to reduce youth crime, it
  mistakenly targets the wrong hours. It is much
  like shutting the corral gate after the horses
  have escaped.

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Loaded Words

• Loaded words carry strong emotional associations.

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Example

• Our baseball team won the tournament, pulverizing
  the Brantley County Herons in the final.